The Extraordinary Council of Ministers on 29th May last approved the royal decree that dissolved the parliament elected on 10 November 2019 and called elections to both houses, which will be held on Sunday 23 July. This Royal Decree was published in the Official State Gazette on Tuesday 30 April, the date it came into force.
When does the election campaign start and how long does it last?
In accordance with the provisions of Organic Law 5/1985 of 19 June on the General Electoral System, the electoral campaign will last 15 days, beginning at midnight on Friday 7 July and ending at midnight on Friday 21 July. The resulting houses shall meet in constituent sessions on 17 August 2023.
Saturday 22 May will be a day of reflection.
What are the deadlines for postal voting?
Postal voting can be requested until 13 July at any Correos post office or by telematic means on the Correos website, without the need to go to a post office in person. To do so you will need to authenticate your identity with your electronic ID card or a valid digital certificate.
How do I vote by post?
You will need to pick up the application form at the post office or submit the postal vote application form online with your electronic ID card or a valid digital certificate.
On the form, you must indicate the postal address to which you want the electoral documentation to be sent (this can be your home address, your place of work or a post box).
The Electoral Census Office will send you the necessary documentation to vote at the address indicated from 3 July.
Once you have received the documentation, choose the ballot paper and put it in the corresponding voting envelope (or do not include a ballot paper if you decide to leave your vote blank). Put the voting envelope(s) and the certificate of registration in the census into the envelope on which the address of your polling station is written. Do not put any document proving your identity inside the voting envelope, because if you do the polling station will invalidate your vote.
Take the envelope to a post office and send it by registered mail free of charge before 19 July.
Can I change my mind and vote in person?
No. If you apply to vote by post, and your application is accepted, you will not be able to vote in person at your polling station on 23 July.
How do I apply for a postal vote if I am temporarily away or on holiday abroad?
If you are temporarily away or on holiday abroad, and you will still be in this situation on voting day and you wish to exercise your right to vote, you must:
- Fill in the application form (you can pick it up at consulates or embassies or download it from the Ministry of Home Affairs or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs websites) and present the form in person at the consulate or embassy until 24 June, although it is recommended to make the request as soon as possible.
- In order to apply, you must be registered in the consular register of the country where you are a non-resident. The application and the entry in the consular register may be made as one and the same act.
The electoral roll office will start sending the electoral documentation to the addresses indicated in the applications on 3 July. The vote must be sent by registered post by 19 July at the latest.
For these votes to be valid, the envelope must be clearly marked with a postmark or other official inscription from a post office of the state concerned, certifying that it has been sent within the prescribed time limit.
Who can use the application for submitting the electronic postal vote application?
- Voters resident in Spain. Once the application has been submitted online and is accepted by the Electoral Census Office, you will not be able to vote at the polling station on polling day.
- Voters resident abroad who are temporarily in Spain, with the right to vote in the elections called.
The electric postal vote cannot be requested by voters resident in Spain who are temporarily abroad, or by voters resident abroad who request it from their country of residence.
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